Not So Hopeless After All
by theoldentimes
Summary: Now, I don't want you to be getting the wrong idea. I don't have problems with the ladies. I'm James Potter, for Merlin's sake! The ladies swoon at my image just strutting and swaggering around the castle. They try to trap, snog or even shag me in broom cupboards or abandoned classrooms. I DO NOT have problems with the ladies. but Lily Evans was different.


**NOT SO HOPELESS AFTER ALL**

Her beautiful red hair fell past her shoulders, having the appearance of flames flowing down her back. Her shiny emerald eyes were scrutinizing her test paper. She sighed as she scanned the question that's been bothering her. Then, she started chewing on her quill as an old habit. She looked absolutely lovely.

Now it was my turn to sigh.

My name is James Potter. I'm a wizard studying at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have magical powers, a good fortune, and a maximum amount of intelligence, a pureblood family, marauders for friends and an insanely huge crush on Lily Evans.

Now, I don't want you to be getting the wrong idea. I don't have problems with the ladies. I'm James Potter, for Merlin's sake!

The ladies swoon at my image just strutting and swaggering around the castle. They try to trap, snog or even shag me in broom cupboards or abandoned classrooms. They try to spike my morning pumpkin juice with love potions. Or heck, send me Howlers screeching and confessing out their love for me. I do not have problems with the ladies.

But Lily Evans was different.

She wasn't like that at all. She was Lily Evans. She had stunning red hair, smooth and freckled porcelain skin, and those bloody brilliant, bright and stunning emerald green eyes that I could just drown in. She was a kind-hearted and talented witch, witty and charming. She had a habit of seeing the best in others, even when they couldn't see it in themselves.

But she also has a temper.

Lily Evans's temper is something that will make me pee my pants. If, you know, I weren't so manly and all. She is the master in hexes and curses, charms and spells. She has a sharp tongue and she is very good at witty comebacks, most that she has used on me whenever I try to suit her. Her cheeks also have a nasty habit of "catching on fire" whenever she is extremely flustered. But, Lily Evans is also brave and self –sacrificing. She also knows how to stand up to others. She is one of the best witches I've ever known.

But again, she's Lily Evans and I'm James Potter.

I think she's a wonderful and beautiful woman.

She thinks I'm an arrogant and ignorant toe-rag.

I've been told that millions of times during our cheerful moments when I would ask her out to Hogsmeade, then she would either curse, sting, glare, yell, insult or hex me in return.

I stare at her once more and sigh again.

I look absent-mindedly at my test paper and quickly set it aside. I took a piece of scrap paper I doodled on while waiting for the class to end. I drew snitches, brooms and other quidditch stuff on it. I also wrote the initials L.E. surrounded by my drawings of fluttering snitches. I bent over and decided to add little hearts around it.

"_Merlin, I'm a sap."_ I thought.

"_Maybe Padfoot's right… I should just give up… She bloody hates me."_

I made a sour face.

"_No."_

"_James Potter, you are not giving up on this woman."_ I strictly told myself.

After I was done talking to myself, the Professor finally yelled out, "ACCIO!"

All the test papers flew towards him and piled neatly into his desk. "Class dismissed." Professor announced.

I grabbed my messenger bag and quickly scratched out the L.E. in case someone saw. I looked back at Sirius Black, my best mate, smirking at me and Remus who was smiling himself.

Then I took a glance at Lily, who looked happy in spite of herself.

"_Maybe she finally got the answer to the question bothering her…"_

When we four marauders were out of the classroom, Peter started muttering about how sure he was that he was going to fail, then Sirius smirked and said, "Did you like question 10, Moony?"

"Loved it!" Remus replied enthusiastically. "5 signs that identify a werewolf!" he said smartly pointing a finger up, "Excellent question!"

"Do you think you managed to get all the signs?" I asked, feinting worry with a hand to my chest and a pout.

"I think I did…" Remus said worriedly "One: He's sitting on my chair, Two: He's wearing my clothes, Three: His name is Remus Lupin…"

I sniggered and Sirius laughed while Peter looked utterly confused.

Remus joined in our laughter too when Lily passed us.

I immediately stopped laughing and smiled toothily at her with hopeful eyes. I messed up my jet black hair even more, as an old habit.

"That's a dead case, Prongs." Sirius whispered to me chuckling.

"Absolutely Hopeless…" Remus added, shaking his head.

Then Lily turned her head and saw me smiling at her. My heart began to pound. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed a deep shade of maroon. She turned away but nonetheless, smiled back at me with her twinkling green eyes.

When I saw her returning the smile, I practically glowed with happiness, while the others were utterly bewildered.

"What. Just. Happened?" Remus asked, carefully stating each word.

"I believe the universe has been altered." Sirius replied, completely stunned.

"Yeah… I think I just heard a nuclear explosion somewhere…" Remus muttered.

"No, that's just my stomach." Peter said frowning.

Remus and Sirius both extended a foot and edged away from Peter.

"Ah, man. I need to go to the bathroom!" Peter wailed out as her ran away.

"Merlin, what did Wormtail eat?!" Remus said.

"Who knows? It's Wormtail. His stomach's a black hole." Sirius said laughing.

"More importantly," Sirius continued, "What did our dear Lily-Petal eat?"

"Shut up! I'm trying to have a memorable moment here. And don't call her Lily-Petal! Only I get to call her that!" I complained.

"And you end up getting hexed by it. Yep, I probably shouldn't follow you. And anyway, so are we, Jamesie-Poo! We're having a very memorable moment as well!" Sirius countered, smirking while putting his arm around me.

"It's just that our moment is more like, seeing something so… unexpected, unrealistic and…. impossible, it becomes so memorable." Remus continued.

"Wow, Moony. Unexpected, Unrealistic _and_ Impossible: you're just a ray of sunshine, aren't you?" I muttered.

"A ray of moonlight's more like it." Sirius muttered.

Remus, with his enhanced werewolf senses, heard this and glared at Sirius.

"Why can't we just be happy about this?" I asked with a groan.

"Because Padfoot's an idiot"

"HEY!"

"I meant about my "Memorable Moment" I clarified, smirking.

"Oh, because-"

But they were cut off shortly by the school bell ringing, signaling the start of the next class.

"BLOODY HELL! If we're late for Transfiguration again, Minnie's going to kill us!" Sirius exclaimed to Remus as they ran to the classroom, while I just strutted smiling happily to myself.

"Maybe I'm not so hopeless after all…" I muttered to myself happily.


End file.
